Challenges and the Future of Urban Air Quality Monitoring in Europe

Transcription

1 Challenges and the Future of Urban Air Quality Monitoring in Europe T.A.J. Kuhlbusch Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology e.v. Air Quality & Sustainable Nanotechnology Frontiers in Air Quality Science, 21 years of the Environmental Research Group London, 23 rd of June 2014

2 Urban Air Quality 2014 Air quality deteriorating in many of the world s cities News release 7 May 2014 GENEVA - Air quality in most cities worldwide that monitor outdoor (ambient) air pollution fails to meet WHO guidelines for safe levels, putting people at additional risk of respiratory disease and other health problems. In most cities where there is enough data to compare the situation today with previous years, air pollution is getting worse. Many factors contribute to this increase, including reliance on fossil fuels such as coal fired power plants, dependence on private transport motor vehicles, inefficient use of energy in buildings, and the use of biomass for cooking and heating. But some cities are making notable improvements - demonstrating that air quality can be improved by implementing policy measures such as banning the use of coal for space heating in buildings, using renewable or clean fuels for electricity production, and improving efficiency of motor vehicle engines. Global Frontiers in Health Air Quality Observatory Science, 23 rd of June (GHO)

3 Urban Air Quality

4 Urban Air Quality 2014 Ambient (outdoor) air quality and health Key facts: Fact sheet N 313, Updated March 2014 Air pollution is a major environmental risk to health. By reducing air pollution levels, countries can reduce the burden of disease from stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma. The lower the levels of air pollution, the better the cardiovascular and respiratory health of the population will be, both long- and short-term. The "WHO Air quality guidelines" provide an assessment of health effects of air pollution and thresholds for health-harmful pollution levels. Ambient (outdoor air pollution) in both cities and rural areas was estimated to cause 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide in Policies and investments supporting cleaner transport, power generation, industry would reduce key sources of urban outdoor air pollution. Reducing outdoor emissions from household coal and biomass energy systems, would reduce key rural and peri-urban air pollution sources.. Reducing outdoor air pollution also reduces emissions of CO 2 and short-lived climate pollutants.., thus contributing to the mitigation of climate change. 4

5 Urban Air Quality 2014 So what are the challenges for urban air quality for the years to come? 5

6 Challenge 1: Old metrics - Limit value attainment - Lower limit values? - Artefacts - New methods - Temporal and spatial information - Sensor technologies - Mobile monitoring Higher time and spatial (horizontal and sometime vertical) resolution Challenge for measurement devices, data integration and interpretation 6

7 Challenge 2: New metrics What is needed for / to implement new metrics? - The new metric! - Definition of the metric - Measurement techniques - Data availability and quality - Independency of other pollutant metrics - Health effect studies - Linkage to emission - International standards 7

8 Challenge 2: New metrics What is needed for / to implement new metrics? - The new metric! - Definition of the metric - Measurement techniques - Data availability and quality - Independency of other pollutant metrics - Health effect studies - Linkage to emission - International standards e. g. ROS developments in all the above areas 8

9 Challenge 2: New metrics Hellack et al. (2014) a) A comparison ROS detection methods for ambient PM collected on Polytetrafluoroethylene and quartz fibre filters showed that an adapted method for PM elicit ROS measurements on quartz fibre filters, commonly used in routine monitoring networks is applicable. b) The identification of suitable materials for method standardisation enabling intra- and inter-laboratory comparability is discussed. Janssen et al. (2014) Contrasts in OP between sites, differences in size fractions and correlation with PMcomposition depended on the specific OP assay used. This suggests that either OP ESR or OP AA and OP DTT can complement each other in providing information regarding the oxidative properties of PM, which can subsequently be used to study its health effects. 9

10 Challenge 2: New metrics Yang et al. (submitted) OP ESR correlated poorly with PM 2.5 mass both spatially (Spearman s r s = 0.29) and temporally (median r s = 0.34). The day-to-day correlations across sites for OP ESR were moderate (r s = ) compared to PM 2.5 (r s = ). Street/urban background and street/regional background ratios for OP ESR were 1.4 and 2.4 times respectively; higher than for PM 2.5 (ratio of 1.1). Health effects Toxicological link between ROS and effects (e.g. Donaldson et al. 2003, Schins et al. 2004, Wessels et al. 2010) Mixed results in epidemiology low correlations to short term effects (e.g. Janssen et al, submitted), sometimes indication of long term effects, e.g Shi et al. 2003, Hellack et al. for diabetes II (in prep.). What is needed? 10

11 Challenge 3: Modelling - Spatial and temporal resolution - Metrics: What can be modelled? - Verification - How can the data quality be assessed? - Linkage of FAIRMODE and CEN TC 264 Nesting regional and local scale models King's combined local scale (ADMS) and regional scale (CMAQ) models to produce a model (CMAQ-urban Beevers et al., 2012) that is capable of modelling (hourly) all of Europe s emissions and detailed enough to provide concentrations at 20m intervals in urban areas, where it s needed most. CMAQ-urban is therefore able to assess air quality policy at European scales all the way down to changes on single roads. Higher spatial and temporal resolution measurements for the assessment of models? A tool to integrate measurement data? A tool for exposure assessment? 11

12 Challenge 4: Exposure - Population exposure (implementation other metrics) - Personal exposure (research to regulation?) - Public places and buildings - How effective is the regulation of ambient air with improved air quality? Become other exposure locations be more important for personal health? HUMAN Health effect 12

13 Challenge 5: Data integration and exploitation Resch et al.,

14 Challenge 6: Regulation and Air Quality Monitoring Fixed monitoring sites Limit values Population exposure index (other pollutants?) Emission to ambient air quality City planning Action planning Adaptation to multipurpose AQ monitoring? 14

15 Challenge 7: Abatement Strategies Assessment of effectiveness of Low emission zones Street cleaning Biomass burning actions Streetcleaningsimulator 2011 insight.nhtv.nl kingscrossenvironment.com 15

16 Challenge 8: Source apportionment Online source apportionment for decisions on effective measures? 16

17 Challenge 8: Source apportionment Online source apportionment for decisions on effective measures Routine Lenschow Approach Emission inventory Source selective modelling (ENERGEO, M. Schaap) EEA Technical report No 4/

18 Challenge 9: Health effect research Challenges - exposure assessment - uptake - new metrics and health - short term - long term effects - toxicity (biokinetic - mode of action reversibility) Nel et al (EPA) 18

19 Challenge 10: Health effect monitoring - Routine monitoring of health data to allow for health effect assessments and assessment of the effectiveness of the AQ measures - How can the routine data sets be used for health effect monitoring? - Routine health effect assessment using time series studies? - Routine health effect assessment using cohort studies? - Which health endpoints? Do all the abatement measures really improve the public health and quality of life? Is there a return of investment? 19

20 Challenge 11: Health impact assessment From R. Friedrich - IER Stuttgart 20

21 Challenge 11: Health & Climate Change impact assessment From Z.Klimont - IIASA 21

22 Challenge 11: Health & Climate Change impact assessment From Z.Klimont - IIASA 22

23 Challenge 12: Communication European wide to the public to public bodies, incl. EC between the researchers between public bodies between researchers, public bodies, SME & Industry 23

24 Status Linking the different challenges and tasks Health effect studies Abatement Monitoring Exposure Source studies New metrics 24

25 Europe Agglomeration areas in Europe all different approaches? 25

26 ARMAQ (Areas for Researching and Monitoring Air Quality) Legal and regulative background Research Air quality monitoring ARMAQ (monitoring, modelling & researching of air quality) Health surveillance Efficient Assessment of: Metrics for health effects AQ measurement methods/strategies Future abatement strategies Human exposure Health effects and impacts Linking: Interdisciplinary research Reviewing activities National & International activities 26

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28 Thanks to you to my colleagues to the AirMonTech-project partners 28